Support for table tennis nets



May 17, 1949. s. NADELSON SUPPORT FOR TABLE TENNIS NETS INVENTOR.

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2,470,318 SUPPORT FOR TABLE'TENNISNETS Samuel Nadelson, NewflorkiaNnY..,Ap"plicatioriDecember 15, v1945, Serial No.f635,139 2 Claims.(018273-30) This inventionrelates-tosupports for nets, and "metal" stripstock of substantial thickness to *parti'cularlynets 'ofthe"chara'cter'used for play- "thereby 'formawig-id support. It is tormedwith ingtennis; 'table tennis or other games wherein a" footportion- 2 whichrests' upon the topof'the anet isrequired'to bestretched across theplaying playing "table" 9,-;said-foot-portion being secured,

5 area. m 5 as' byv being-"welded," -to-'*'thetop of a' G-shaped"In'table tennis games-the net employed isusuaclamp" k having a- -lowerelement 5 through which ally supported atits opposite ends by'thecuparclamping screw" 6- is threaded. --'-'Said" clamping right postsof brackets which are clamped tothe ".SCITGWlS providedwith ahead 1forengagement *tableinf such a. "manner -that the'upright posts againstthe under side of-thetable 9, whereby-the ""arise' abovethe table.Bolts-or similarthreaded no tab lewillbe thus clamped between the-head lof *elements are" customarily .used for engaging the screw 6* andithe-"top element' 8 oi -the- G-clamp 4, ends "of'the net; suchbbltsextending through "said portion8'of-the'clamp being fixedly securedaperturesiri the posts-andby' operation of wing- ,to" the "foot" 2 -oi--the bracket asheretofore nutson the'boltsj "the n'et'is' drawn-tautbetween explained.

thdposts. Such an arrangement *requiresman Thebracket-includesan-upstandingpost 3-pref- "ual" adjustmentfromtimetdtime the ends "of '"erably"formed-integrally twitmthe'ioot' 2,-s'aidtheboltswith thenutsth'ereon project from "the post acting to su-pportan- -end of ---the-- net l 0 posts in such a'manner thatthe players arelikely 'through--resilient meang to be described. Said to beirijuredbyrontact with the same. More- -resilient meansincludesa-'-leaf-spring having a "overf thenrfanualadjustment'bf'these parts; if::central-flat portion lt'contacting with the inner notproperlyperformed; only tends toimpose too faceof the-post 3- -and'-being" fixedly-secured "much strain" on the net; Or else allows undue---thereto-*by* the two rivets 11- or other-equivalent slackin'the net.An objectbf'thepresent'-'invenfastening elements. Extending 'f-rom theflat tion .is to provide, a, support for'use at-each'endicentral--portion oithe leaf-spring is a pairiof o the'nefi"wh ch"w lgage the net and applyslzc arched or bowed arms l5 which may be for-meda resilient pull ortensionthereonso that the net integrally "with the*centralpart or the spring. will always be held "with'the proper degreeof The curved-shapeoi these-arms' l5 oi the spring lutautness acrossithe-litable. Pissu'ch that-the' same tendto -bearetowardethe Theinvention further contemplates :therproviinside iaceoi the post-cr mother words towexert sion of means-by which-the resilient pullimposedeito" a-pu1lon *the" netlongitudinally in a" direction on the netwill be applied" directly longitudinally toward the post. Each of thearms l5..'ofi-the of the net and will tend to 'automatically take upspringhaS itsf-ree endlaterally-bent as. indicated any slacli -therein-thus compensatingfor--variaat l 3, :each of said-laterally -bentends 13being tion in the lengths of-netsoften due to stretching, provided-with"anaperture l 8. weather condition and other-c e 31 Shown at I2 is aradar barhavingrstuds il tsat Still another objectaotthe.inventionisto;pr0- its opposite ends, said studswbemgtremovably vide a support ofthe character described in which fitted into the apertures H3 in thelaterally-bent the projecting elements, likely to cause damage ends l3of the spring arms l5. The ends l3 are or injury to the players, aredispensed with. slightly sprung toward one another so that when In theaccompanying drawing, wherein several the bar is placed between them,and with the embodiments of the invention are disclosed, Fig. studs Iton the ends of the bar or rod placed in 1 is front elevation of one ofthe supports, showthe apertures [8, the rod or bar l2 will be sein aportion of the net attached to the same; curely held in place, but canbe easily removed by Fig.2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig.1, flexing the spring arms to disengage the lugs looking in thedirection of the arrows; Fig. 3 is a 5 from the apertures l8.

sectional view on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1, looking In the form shown,the net is provided at each in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is anenend with a hem H constituting a pocket fitting larged sectional viewof the ends of the leaf spring around the rod. When the net has beenfitted and rod engaged thereby; Fig. 5 is a side elevation at each ofits ends with one of the rods l2, and of a modified structure, and Fig.6 shows another the rods placed in position between the ends ofmodification. the spring arms, the tendency of the spring arms Withreference to the embodiment of the into exert a pull toward the springpost to which vention shown in Fig. 1, the supporting bracket they aresecured, will draw the net longitudinally is generally indicated at I.This bracket is preiand thus hold it taut across the table. Since theerably, but not necessarily, constructed of flat 5 springs can be flexedto a considerable extent, it

will be obvious that variations in the lengths of the nets provided canbe compensated for and the nets used will always be held taut. When itis desired to remove a net, the rods l2 at the opposite ends of the netare simply removed from the springs, and a replacement of the net meansmerely slipping the rods back into place, the springs acting at once totake up the slack in the net without requirin any manual adjustments.

It is to be noted that the springs and the rods supported thereby areattached to the inside faces of the upright posts 3 so that the outerface of the post is smooth and clear of projections. Thus, thelikelihood of a player injuring himself on protruding parts iscompletely obviated.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 5, the rod I2 is heldbetween the laterallybent ends 2| of a bracket 20, which might be ofspringy r resilient material, and extending from the bracket is one ormore, and in the embodiment shown, two pins or studs .22 which slidethrough apertures provided in the upright post 3 of the supportingbracket. On the end of each of the pins or studs 22 is a head or nut 24,and confined between the head or nut 24 and the outer face of theupright post 3 is a coil spring 23 extending around the pin 22. Throughthis arrangement, a resilient pull is imposed on the rod 12 and the endof the net through which the rod is fitted. While the structure shown inthis embodiment of the invention causes projecting elements to becomedisposed on the outside of the post 3, the shape and disposition of suchelements is such that the same can be readily protected by suitablerubber shields or sleeves, not herein shown, in order to more clearlydisclose the construction.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 6, a rod 25 is shown asextending through the hem II of the net, said rod being provided at itsopposite ends with an eyelet 26. A spring 2'! has one end attached tothe eyelet and its other end secured to the post 3, the springs tendingto pull the end of the net toward the post. While two springs 2'! areshown, this number may be increased if desired.

While I have shown several embodiments of th invention, otherembodiments and changes in the disclosed structures will be readilyapparent to those skilled in this art. In the disclosed structures, thenet is drawn taut with the imposition of a resilient pull on itsopposite ends. The result is that all slackness in the net is taken up,differences in net-lengths is compensated for, manual adjustments arerendered unnecessary and setting up and taking down of the net isgreatly simplified.

I have herein suggested that the net employed might be provided at itsends with a hem to form an elongated pocket to fit the rod 12, but itwill be understood that strings of the character used on some types ofnets can be used to attach the nets to the rods or possibly directly tothe spring arms l5. It is also possible to facilitate the placement ofthe stub-ends of the rods into the apertures l8 by the provision ofgrooves in the ends of the spring arms adjacent to the apertures andwhereby the ends of the rod may be easily snapped into the apertures andreadily manually removed from engagement therewith.

These and other modifications are comprehended as being within the scopeof the invention and the claims appended hereto.

What I claim is:

1. A net holder comprising, a bracket having an upright post, a leafspring secured to the inner face of the post, said spring having a pairof resilient arm portions bowed or shaped to cause the same to extendtoward the inner face of the post, lateral ends on said arm portionsextending in a direction away from the post, a rod holding one end of anet, said rod being resiliently clamped between the lateral ends of thespring arms, said ends being apertured to receive the ends of the rod.

2. A net holder comprising, a bracket having a rigid upright post, a.flat leaf spring located on the inner face of the post, said springbeing rigidly and non-pivotally attached at a substantially centralpoint to the inner face of the post, said spring having a pair ofresilient arm portions bowed or shaped to cause the same to extendtoward the inner face of the post, lateral ends on said arm portionsextending in a direction away from the post, a rod holding one end of anet, said rod being resiliently clamped between the SAMUEL NADELSON.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,862,118Kleinman June 7, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 498 941 GreatBritain Jan. 17. 1939

